IT'S in front of us... Oh yes it is! The annual Portadown pantomime at the Town Hall, that is.
This year, the lively lot of the Gateway Theatre are staging ‘The Sleeping Beauty’, the romantic tale of the princess who slept for 100 years before being awakened by the handsome prince and they live happily ever after and all that.
The pretty pr
incess is played by lovely Gateway member Nadia Dinsdale, with thespians old and new making it a riot of fun and music, associated with the group which keeps Portadown firmly on the drama map of Northern Ireland.
The 16-show run gets off its marks on January 14, and the other major roles are as follows -
The seasoned Lawrence Cinnamond plays the stately King Cedric, with his son Peter as Tickles the Jovial Jester.
No panto would be complete with the Dame, and - outrageous as ever - this part is played with gusto by postman Eddie Drury who will deliver his lines with the usual verve. The character is the bizarrely named Nurse Ammonia Goodbody. Quite...
And as dad Drury dons the dame dresses, daughter Ruth Drury also cross-dresses as Prince of Euphoria. Quite a talented family, the Drurys.
tune
Then there are John and Edward, the all-singing, all-dancing ‘twins’, and you can bet that Marie Tiffney and Kirsty Fleming are more in tune and in time than those off-key exponents of the ‘X Factor’!
Newcomer Jane Hamilton from Dungannon is showing up well in rehearsals as ‘Cara Bosse the Evil Witch’, so she can expect lots of boos from the discerning audiences that pack the Town Hall for the show.
And completing the main line-up of characters is Simon Hylands, who plays ‘Fusspot’, thus adding to the fun and mayhem.
Director and producer respectively are the experienced and talented Millie O’Kasili and Nigel Dawson, two long-serving members of the Gateway.
Tickets for the show are a giveaway £7 and can be had through the hotline on 02838 351313 or via booking forms from the Town Hall.
Enjoy...
